Sight for firearms.



C. J. JOLIDON.

SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED sums. 19:4.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L C. J; JOLIDON.

SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. I914.

. 1,179,838. Patented Apr. 18,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fly. 6 25 2s Ozarks tLliclon THE coLuMBlA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D.c.

CHARLES J. JOLIDON, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE LYMAN GUNSIGHT CORPORATION, OF MIDDLEFIELI), CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON-NECTICUT.

SIGHT FOR FIREARMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. JoLiDoN, of Hartford, in the county ofHartford, and in the State of Connecticut, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Sights for Firearms, and do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in the sights for firearms, and ithas for its object to provide a rear sight of the vertically adjustableclass which shall embody certain improvements in construction adapted torender the device more simple, efiicicnt, and less troublesome andexpensive of manufacture. These improvements have for their purpose toprovide a substitute for the rack which projects from the sight stem ofsaid class of sights, adapted for intermeshing with the adjusting nutcommonly employed to elevate or depress the sight which will dispensewith the milled slot in the part in which the sight stem travels for thereception of said rack and through which it projects, and thus provide aconstruction that is substantial and more cheaply made.

Further objects are to provide improved spring detent mechanisms forholding the elevating nut or sleeve secure against displacement,mechanism for adjusting the Zero mark and indicator graduation relativeto each other for point blank, and means for securing the elevating nutin its bearing.

The invention consists in the novel arrangement, combination andconstruction of parts substantially as hereinafter more fully describedand claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedsight, shown in the position for aiming when mounted on a firearm heldhorizontally; Fig. 2 is a Vertical cross section through the sight inthe aforesaid position, taken on the line 22 of the horizontal crosssection, Fig. 7 of transverse to the line of aim, but showing the sightstem entire, the figure being enlarged togeher with all the remainingfigures, to twice the size of Fig. 1, to better illustrate the moreminute proportions of the construction which would otherwise presentgreat difficulty in delineation; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross sectiontaken longitudinally of the barrel, or upon the plane 33 of Fig. 7,enlarged as aforesaid; Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross section through theelevating nut on the plane 44t of Fig. 2, and similar plane 44 of Fig.3, showing the means for adjusting the zero line of the graduation atpoint blank; Fig. 5 is a view of the lower end of the elevating nut orsleeve, and the spring for holding it stationary; Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the said spring for securing the elevating nutstationary enlarged; Fig. T is a horizontal cross section on the plane7-7 of Figs. 2 and 3, enlarged; Fig. 8 is an enlarged plan view of thespring ring for retaining the elevating nut in its bearings; Fig. 9 isan enlarged rear view of the sight stem showing the thread teeth forinter-meshing with the elevating nut; Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspectiveview of the upper end of the sight post or nonrotating part for carryingthe sight stem, with a portion of the stem mounted therein, and a partof the elevating nut shown in vertical cross section; Fig. 11 is adiagrammatic plan view of Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is an enlarged plan view ofthe sight part, with the elevating nut bearing and spring.

Referring to the drawings, it is to be understood that the base 10, ofmy improved sight, adapted for being mounted on the stock of the firearm rcarwardly of the barrel and hammer, pertains to an old and wellknown class of sights, provided with the ears 11 through which isrigidly mounted a transverse bolt 12 secured by the binding nut 13 andhaving a spring detent or elastic section 14 for the purpose ofretaining in position a sight carrying member hinged upon the bolt andadapted to be folded down upon the base, from the sighting positionshown in Fig. 1. It is the sight carrying member and its mechanism whichembodies my improvements, and, while they are here shown as applied to afolding sight, it will be readily perceived that they are equallyimportant and applicable to a non folding sight member, or constructionin which the sight post, socalled, is integrally connected and forms onepart with the base, which class of sights is also old and common.Therefore while I have chosen to illustrate the invention with a form ofsight with which it is adapted to be extensively used, I do not limit itto such construction nor is it necessary to further describe the foldingcharacter of the mechanism, beyond the statement, that, a; the presentinstance,

comprises a vertical hollow spindle, 17, or

sight post proper, having around its base a vertical circular mm 18which forms an annular bearing for the reception of the lower end of theadjusting or sight elevating nut or sleeve 19 received upon the spindleor sight post 17 and coextensive in height therewith, as shown in Fig.2. Both the elevating nut and the rim are formed, respectively, withregistering circumferential grooves 20 and 21, of such relativeproportions that a cut spring ring 22 may be wholly sprung within thegroove in the elevating nut, and then self-expanded partly into thegroove in the rim after the parts are assembled, and remaining partlyengaged with the nut, whereby the respective members are positively heldtogether and prevented from ever becoming detached af ter they have oncebeen fitted together.

The elevating nut bottoms within the annular chamber which seats it, butan extension 23 of the chamber at the outer side is provided below thenut, for the reception of a circular spring 2-1, which, by being made sothat when not under pressure it is deflected in a perfectly flat orplane condition, or is slightly arched and then partly flattened bybeing crowded down into its seat, is adapted by its elasticity to springupwardly against the nut, acting upon the nut at the diametricallyopposite points 25 and upon the floor of its seat 26, at thediametrically opposite points 27, as designated in Figs. 5 and 6. Thespring at one of the points 25, is bent into a slight angle 28 which isadapted to engage any one of a series of notches 29 in the end face ofthe nut, in number proportioned to the requirements of the case, usuallyfour, and hold the nut from being rotated except by the application ofsufiicient pressure to overcome the holding force of the spring engagedwith the detent notch of the nut. The spring itself is held fromrotation in its seat by having its ends 30 extended radially and engagedwith a vertical slot 31 on the front side of the rim 18, as shown inFig. 12. The clicking of the detent angle of the spring with thedetentnotches 29 of the nut enables the turns of the nut to be heard and felt,and thus counted without the aid of vision and a look at the graduationmarks 32 on the nut, in their registration with a zero point or line 33on the front side of the rim 18, as designated in Fig. 13,. or at anyother point 371, as shown in Fig. 1. From this circumstance the springis called the click spring. The part 34 in the present invention isgraduated with twenty divisions or degrees, that is five to each detentnotch.

While the graduation specified may be applied to the surface of the nut,I have ,provided a separate surface or annular co-llar 34: fitted uponthe lower part of the nut for such indication, which by beingindependent of the nut itself, readily enables the graduation to bebrought into alinement with the zero mark to be applied only after thepoint blank adjustment is determined by trial. The collar is heldagainst displacement by a curved spring 35 received in a slot 36 in thecollar and pressing against the body of the nut, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the old and well known forms of this class of sight, the elevatingnut was internally threaded, and its threads intermeshed with a rackraised on the sight stem carried in the bore of the sight post, the rackprojecting through a corresponding slot in the sight post, which partswere troublesome and expensive of manufacture and assemblage. Myimprovement to provide elevating means for the sight stem comprises incombination a screw thread 37 cut eccentrically on one side of the sightstem 38, and the bore of the sight post which receives the sight stem isalso placed eccentric to the axis of the post, nearly coinciding with.

one side of the post, as shown in Figs. 7, 10 and 11. The upper portionof the sight post is reduced in diameter to conform to the circle of thebottom of the threads on the sight stem, which cuts away the metalentirely on one side of the sight post and leaves a part 39 of luneshaped cross section at such point, rising vertically on the end of thesight post as shown in the perspective Fig. 10, the plan view Fig. 11,andv the cross section Fig. 7.

The elevating nut 19 is concentrically bored to fit upon the body of thespindle or post 17 and has its upper part 40 of smaller aperture to fitupon the lune shaped part 39 of the post, and screw threadedinternally'to engage with the thread of the sight' stem, as fully shownin Figs. 3, 7, 10 and 11.

The construction and relation of the eccentric parts of the mechanismwill be fully understood by reference to the diagrammatic plan view Fig.11 in which letters are employed to designate the respective centers andcircles, A representing the center of the sight post, B the center ofthe sight stem, D the exterior circle of the thread, E the interiorcircle of the thread, and F the circumference of the sight stem,concentric to point B, eccentric to point A, and coinciding with theexterior circle D of the thread at the point 43. A spline or key 41 islet into the sight stem near the lower end thereof and engaged with andadapted to travel in a longitudinal slot 42 in the lli sight post, asshown in Figs. 3, 4:, 7, 10 and 11 to hold the sight stem against beingrotated in its bearing by the rotative action of the elevating nut.

In the operation of the mechanism, as the elevating nut is held secureagainst longitudinal movement upon the sight post, by means of the ring22, the effect of rotating it will be to raise or lower the sight stemby means of the engagement of the respective screw threads of the parts,thus adjusting the sight 47 to the required height. In this movement thespring 2% will register the number of degrees or turns made by the nut,by the clicking sound made as the detent of the spring snaps into thenotches of the nut, and the spring will hold the nut secure when thesight stem is adjusted to po sition.

Figs. 2 and at show the grooves 20 and 21 with the retaining spring forholding the sight post and sight carrying part or base together inposition for engaging said parts. The grooves, it will be understoodform a common seat for the spring In operation said ring first placed inthe groove 20 of the adjusting nut and compressed to enter Within therim 18, as shown in Fig. 5, will expand when the grooves of therespective parts coincide or register, and enter the groove 21 in part,as shown in Fig. 2, after which the parts cannot be displaced or takenapart. If the depth of the interior groove be equal to the depth of thering and the exterior groove half of such depth, the desired result willbe insured.

The length of the sight stem is such that it will bottom or contact withthe surface of the bolt 12 when the sight is somewhat below the pointblank position. Then, in operation after the point blank position isfound and the collar Ell properly set, if the number of spaces the nutrequires to be turned to elevate the sight stem from contact with thebolt to point blank be noted, the collar 34 can always thereafter be setin the self same position after it has been moved therefrom and pointblank indication last by simply bottoming the sight stem, then raisingit the required quota of spaces on the graduation lines and then set--ting the collar to zero, which will be the original point blankposition.

The elimination of the projecting rack on the sight carrying stemconduces to a material saving in manufacture, both by the elimination ofthe milling operation for providing the slot to receive said projectingrack and also by the fact that the stem itself is a cylindrical body inthe periphery of which the thread is cut so that the stem can be formedby a simple turning operation as in a lathe, which is impossible wherethe rack is in the form of a projection from the periphery of the stem.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In a sight forfire arms, the combination of a longitudinally slidable sightcarryingstem that is cylindrical in form and has screw-threads in the peripherythereof, a nut having an internal thread to engage the screw-tl1reads ofthe stem, said nut and stem being eccentrically mounted with respect toeach other, means to resist turning of the stem, and means to preventlongitudinal movement of the nut.

2. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of a longitudinally movablesight-carrying stem having a cylindrical body, an interruptedscrew-thread in the periphery of said body, an internally threaded nutwhose thread engages the thread of the stem, the axis of the nut beingeccentric to the axis of the stem, a cylindrical bearing for the nutconcentric with the axis thereof having a stenrreceiving opening whoseaxis is concentric with the stem axis, means to resist rotation of thestem, and means to prevent longitudinal movement of the nut.

3. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of a sight-carrying stem, arotary adjusting device for the stem having an annular recess, a bearingfor said rotary adjusting device having an internal annular recessalining with the annular recess in said rotary device, and a split ringwithin both of said annular recesses.

4:. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of a sight-carrying stem,a rotary adjusting device for the stem having detent notches, a clickspring consisting of an arched spring ring having a notch engagingprojection, and a support for said ring that engages it at separatedpoints.

5. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of a. movablesight-carrying member, a rotary adjusting device, a rotary index carrying member loosely mounted on said device and rotatable to differentpositions thereon, and a part carrying a cooperating index stationarilymounted with reference to said rotary device.

6. In an adjusting mechanism. the com bination of a nut screw threadedinternally, a cylindrical member longitudinally movable within the nutslidable in the general direction of the axis of the nut and providedwith teeth on one side within its periphery intermeshing with the threadof the nut, a bearing for confining the motion of the nut to a rotarymovement, said bearing confining the motion of the mem her to movementat substantially right angles to the rotation of the nut.

7. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of a base or supportingmember provided with a cylindrical bearing, an adjusting nut journaledon said cylindrical hearing internally screw threaded, a cylindricalsight stem movably carried in said supporting member mounted within thebearing and eccentrically to the nut, and having a series of teeth onone side meshing with the thread of the nut.

8. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of a base or supportingmember having a cylindrical socket and having an internal circulargroove provided with a sight carrying member concentric with the socket,an adjusting nut seated within the socket, the adjusting nut andsupporting member having coincident or registering grooves, and a springring seated within said grooves in engagement with both members, theinterior groove being cut to a depth not less than the depth of the ringto admit the ring wholly within it in a compressed state, and the ringbeing self-expanding with parts in the screw groove.

9. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of a movable sight stemprovided with engaging teeth, an annular elevating nut having its threadintermeshing with the engaging teeth of the sight stem, a supportingframe for mounting the stem and nut in such interengaging relation andprovided with an annular spring thrust bearing-at the end of theelevating nut, a spring seated between said thrust bearing and the" nutbent to provide opposite diametrical bearing points on the thrustbearing and opposite diametrical bearing points on the end of the nutsubstantially at right angles to those on the thrust bearing, the springbeing provided with a detent formation at one of its bearing points onthe nut and the nut with corresponding detent engaging notches, thespring having projecting ends and the frame being provided withshoulders for engaging said projecting ends of the spring to preventrotation thereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of a supporting frameprovided with a vertical external cylindrical bearing having an internalcylindrical bearing eccentric to the external bearing, and the end ofthe external bearing reduced in diameter for a limited portion of itsheight to overlap or encroach upon the circle of the eccentric internalbearing and cut away or remove a portion of the wall thereof, anadjusting nut received upon the external cylindrical bearing andprovided with a threaded por tion fitting the reduced portion of thebear? ing and overlapping upon the circle of the eccentric internalbearing, a sight stem mounted in the eccentric bearing, the internalbearing provided with teeth on the side coinciding with the cut awayportion of the wall of the internal bearing, and intermeshing with thethread of the adjusting nut, means for preventing the longitudinalmovement of the nut upon its bearing, and means for preventing therotary movement of the sight stem within its seat.

11. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of an adjusting nut, athrust bearing or seat and an annular spring placed between the annularend of the nut and said thrust hearing or seat, the spring havingopposite diametrical bearing points on the nut and thrust bearingrespectively at substantially right angles to each other.

12. In a sight for fire arms, the combination of an adjusting nut, athrust hearing or seat and an annular spring placed between the annularend of the nut and said,

thrust hearing or seat, the spring having opposite diametricallyengaging points on the nut, and thrust bearing respectively atsubstantially right angles to each other, one

of said engaging points of the spring on the nut being formed into adetent angle or shoulder, and the nut being provided with a detent notchfor the engagement of such angle or shoulder.

13. In a sight for fire arms having a sight stem longitudinallyadjustable for elevation in the supporting frame or base, and anadjusting nut mounted in the frame or base inter-meshing with andadapted to operate the sight stem, the combination With the adjustingnut of a graduated collar rotatably mounted upon the adjusting nut formeasuring its movement of rotation relative to the base, and a springseated in the frame or base and bearing upon the nut to excitefrictional pressure thereon. and means for limiting the movement of thesight stem to a definite point below the point blank position for thepurpose of resetting the graduated collar with definite reference to andcalculable from the position of the sight stem at such lim t of itsmovement.

In testimony that I claim the fore o ng I have hereunto set mv hand this2nd day of September, 1914, at New Haven, Conn.

CHARLES J. JOLIDON.

Witnesses GEORGE L. BARNES, DAVID GRANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. Q."

